Still unknown if Richardson will play Sunday

Trent Richardson did not take part in a full practice for the Browns on either Wednesday or Thursday.

The Browns revealed on their injury report that Richardson had "limited participation in practice,"? which means he missed some of the team's work.

Coach Pat Shurmur continues to say that Richardson looks good in practice, but he did not practice after Aug. 7 in preseason -- two days before arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

"I think it'll feel good,"? Richardson said of his knee. "If I'm out there on the field."?

Of course "if" is the key word in that statement.

The Browns would love to have Richardson. They believe that running the ball is the most effective way to combat Philadelphia's wide-nine defense, and to slow its pass rush. Richardson is a key in that effort.

But it's not likely anyone will know if Richardson will play until Sunday. He likely will be listed as questionable by the Browns on Friday, with his availability on Sunday coming down to a game-time decision.

--It isn't often an NFL team gets a do-over, but that's how the Browns are looking at their matchup with the Eagles on Sunday in the season opener in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Browns and Eagles met in the third preseason game on Aug. 24 on a night the Browns would like to forget. The Eagles whipped them, 27-10, and along the way sacked Brandon Weeden three times and Colt McCoy twice.

"That was probably one of the most basic game plans we had," left guard Jason Pinkston said. "They showed us a little different stuff. We learned a lot from it. It'll be much different (Sunday). We'll have a full game plan."

The Browns aren't making any guarantees the Eagles can use as bulletin board material except to say they expect to play better this time around.

To start with, the Browns are healthier. Tight end Benjamin Watson did not play in the preseason game but is practicing again after missing the entire preseason. Barring a setback he'll be in the starting lineup.

The Browns are also counting on rookie running back Trent Richardson making his NFL debut. Richardson missed the entire preseason recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery but practiced Monday and Wednesday with no problems.

"It doesn't worry me at all," Richardson said. "I'm very confident in my knee. I try to be 110 percent in everything I do. I know coach is going to put me in the right situation with the right trainers and our medical staff. They're doing everything they can to get help me back to 120 percent, not 110. I know ... I can tell the big difference now and it's not going to give me any trouble down the line. I'm ready to go."

The Browns have preferred Richardson to have some preseason action, but they are confident he'll be ready for contact from the opening snap. Even before he started practicing he was working behind the scenes to get ready.

"This kid is a little different cat, now," general manager Tom Heckert said. "I think he's ready to go pretty quick compared to some people that I've been around. In-shape wise, you don't have to worry about that at all. He'll be able to do that. In a perfect world, yeah, but I don't think it's a really big deal, I really don't."

Some players unavailable to the Browns in the preseason game are still out. Defensive tackle Phil Taylor is on PUP. recovering from pectoral surgery. Strong-side linebacker Scott Fujita is serving the first of a three-game suspension for his alleged involvement in the Saints bounty scandal when he played in New Orleans in 2009 and rookie linebacker James-Michael Johnson has an oblique injury and did not practice Monday or Wednesday. Chris Gocong, who would be a starter at outside linebacker, is on injured reserve recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

The injuries are going to test the run defense. Eagles running back LeSean McCoy scored 17 rushing touchdowns last season. The Browns tried to beef up the run defense in the offseason by signing Frostee Rucker (Bengals) and Juqua Parker (Eagles) in free agency. Parker doesn't start, but Rucker does. Rucker missed the August game against the Eagles because of a knee injury but he is ready for the opener.

SERIES HISTORY: 48th regular season meeting. Browns lead series, 31-15-1. The Browns and Eagles have met three times since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999 and the Eagles won each time. Browns head coach Pat Shurmur was on the winning sideline each time as an assistant coach on Andy Reid's staff.

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NFL Team Report - Cleveland Browns - NOTES, QUOTES

--The Browns last played the Eagles in Philadelphia in December of 2008. Romeo Crennel was the head coach. The 30-10 defeat was their fourth straight. By the time the season ended the losing streak hit six and Crennel was fired one day later.

What made the loss to the Eagles memorable is the Browns scored a touchdown - on a 24-yard interception return by Brandon McDonald. As difficult as it is to believe, that was the only touchdown the Browns scored in the six-game losing streak. The score was 30-3 before McDonald got the pick six off Kevin Kolb in the fourth quarter.

--The Browns could have drafted Donovan McNabb with the first pick of the 1999 draft but never considered him. Instead, they drafted Tim Couch, who was already out of the league for a year by the time the Browns hosted the Eagles in 2004.

McNabb made the Browns pay for their oversight - not that he was upset the Eagles took him with the second pick in 1999. McNabb threw four touchdown passes and passed for 376 yards in a game the Browns lost in overtime, 34-31.

Just as the Eagles would help grease the skids for Crennel four years later, the overtime loss was the beginning of the end for Butch Davis as head coach. The Browns were 3-3 overall and 3-0 at home before facing the Eagles. The loss was the first of a nine-game losing streak. Davis resigned with five games left. The Browns lost four more in a row before beating the Texans in the final game of the season for interim head coach Terry Robiskie.

--Browns starting right cornerback Sheldon Brown played for the Eagles for eight years before being traded to the Browns in 2010. He never missed a game with Philadelphia and has continued that streak with the Browns.

--Browns general manager Tom Heckert, who worked in the Eagles' front office from 2001-09, considers Eagles coach Andy Reid one of his closest friends. They won't be chatting this week, but Heckert says they often speak by phone.

"I talk to him all the time," Heckert said. "We talk a lot about things and the best compliment I get is if Andy says, 'Hey, you guys are way better than what you guys were before and you're a different team.' That makes you feel good, when you hear stuff like that from him.

"Trust me; Andy wouldn't say it just to say it. He would tell me how it is. If he thought we were doing something stupid, he'd tell me."

BY THE NUMBERS: 1 - Number of season openers won by the Browns in the 13 years they've been back in the NFL.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It seems to me, as an observer, he's more involved with everybody than he was a year ago. I'm still learning his coaching style to be honest." - Browns president Mike Holmgren on coach Pat Shurmur.

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NFL Team Report - Cleveland Browns - STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

In one of the stranger moves of the roster cuts, the Browns traded safety David Sims to the Eagles for a conditional 2013 draft choice. Could Sims feed the Eagles any inside information gleaned from spending an entire offseason and training camp with the Browns? If so, coach Pat Shurmur isn't worried about it.

"No, I think sometimes that can be overstated," Shurmur said. "Of course, he can possibly talk about the way we do business. At the end of the day, it's going to be a run or a pass. That's the kind of things we're trying to disguise. I thought (David) Sims did a very nice job. I think they were smart to trade for him."

The Browns kept rookie free-agent safety Taushan Gipson over Sims. Gipson and the return of Usama Young from a quadriceps injury made Sims expendable.

PLAYER NOTES

--RT Mitchell Schwartz will be tested in his first NFL game. Eagles defensive end Jason Babin had 18 sacks a year ago, and his pass-rush quickness could give Schwartz fits.

--LB Scott Fujita still awaits word on the injunction he and the other three players filed asking for a temporary restraining order to stay their suspensions. A ruling on the case is expected on Friday. Fujita was suspended three games for allegedly contributing money to the Saints illegal bounty pool.

--WR Josh Gordon makes his debut on Sunday after being taken in the supplemental draft. The Browns gave up a second-round pick for Gordon, so he will play. The question is how well he grasps the pro game. Coach Pat Shurmur said Gordon is "as far along as you can be as a rookie."

--QB Brandon Weeden's best attribute? "I don't think he ever lets you see him sweat,"? said offensive coordinator Brad Childress. If any team might make Weeden sweat, it'd be Philadelphia. He struggled with the Eagles pass rush in preseason.

INJURY IMPACT

--OL John Greco (calf) and Oniel Cousins (ankle) both missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday. If neither can play the Browns will be thin on the offensive line, with only rookie tackle Ryan Miller in reserve. One injury up front could really help the Eagles. It's possible the team could make a practice squad move if they feel a seventh lineman is needed. THe Browns have three offensive linemen on the practice squad.

--OLB James-Michael Johnson will miss the game with a strained oblique muscle. Johnson had an impressive preseason, but was injured in the final game. He will be replaced by a rookie, probably L.J. Fort, undrafted from Northern Iowa. Facing two backup outside linebackers can't hurt the cause of Eagles RB LeSean McCoy or QB Mike Vick.

--TEs Jordan Cameron (groin) and Ben Watson (thigh) were both limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. If neither play, Alex Smith would be the only healthy tight end, which could prompt the Browns to use a lot of three-wide receiver sets. That might help the passing game, but it won't help the Browns run the ball or pass protect.

GAME PLAN: Running the ball successfully is essential to slowing down the Eagles' pass rush. The Eagles like to set their pass rushers wide, which could cause problems, particularly for rookie right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.

The Browns are getting Trent Richardson back just in time to make the running game a legitimate threat. If he can run successfully between the tackles, the Eagles ends might have to move a step inside. The Browns do not put a lot of stock in the 27-10 preseason loss to the Eagles last month. Richardson missed that game recovering from knee surgery. The Eagles sacked Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy a combined five times and averaged just three yards a carry on 22 attempts without Richardson.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Browns CB Joe Haden vs. Eagles WR DeSean Jackson: Haden faces a possible four-game suspension for reportedly testing positive for the banned substance Adderall, but he is playing in the opener. He intercepted a pass intended for Jackson in the preseason game. The pass was thrown by Nick Foles, not Michael Vick. Haden is concerned about Jackson's speed.

Browns DE Frostee Rucker vs. Eagles RB LeSean McCoy: The Browns signed Rucker in free agency because they have to improve their run defense. McCoy scored 17 rushing touchdowns last year, so this is a good test to see how much better the run defense is. Rucker was sidelined with a knee injury early in training camp but is fine now.